The following is a glimpse of life as a transfer student through the eyes of students who have already made the transition.
Read on to discover advice and experiences of transfer students from a mix of majors and backgrounds.
Kaelyn Angell
Major: Pharmacy
Hometown: St. Cloud, Minnesota
Transferred from: St. Cloud State University
• Why did you choose NDSU?
I chose NDSU because it offered a program that allowed me to advance as a professional. NDSU is in a city where I felt I could thrive and I was equally as excited to live in Fargo as I was to begin my education at NDSU.
• Do you have any suggestions or advice for transfer students?
Utilize the advice of your program adviser to help you get on track in a new environment. In addition to developing a relationship with your adviser, do not be afraid to make connections with students in your classes. My most memorable college experiences have occurred because of my willingness to branch out and meet new people.
• What are your tips on how to adapt to NDSU?
Become comfortable with asking for help. I would often seek advice from other students, my adviser and faculty members to help myself find success at NDSU. Additionally, become involved with the community outside of school. Fargo is a community with many public events that provide excellent opportunities to meet others.
• Describe your transfer experience.
I had always desired to attend NDSU for my pharmacy degree, but chose to remain in my hometown for personal convenience. Once I began to map out the credits I needed to attend NDSU, I reached out to an adviser for my program. She was extremely helpful; I would not have had such a smooth transfer experience without her. Upon my acceptance to NDSU, I joined various Facebook pages to help find familiar faces that would be studying by my side. I felt like a valued student even though I had not been attending the university since my freshman year. NDSU’s faculty members welcome new students with open arms, no matter what the age.
• How have advisers, faculty and fellow students helped with your transition?
I can confidently say that advisers, faculty and fellow students have been positive influences on my transition to NDSU. I have always been met with kindness when interacting with these individuals. I’m thankful that I made the decision to transfer to NDSU, and I will forever be proud to say I attended this university.
Nicolas Rohrich
Major: Electrical Engineering
Hometown: Mandan, North Dakota
Transferred from: Bismarck State College
• Why did you choose NDSU?
I chose NDSU because it was affordable, offered a major that I was interested in and was in my home state.
• Do you have any suggestions or advice for transfer students?
Some suggestions that I have for incoming transfer students is to get involved and meet as many people as possible. Where most students have four years to meet and connect with others, transfer students often only have two or three. Make the most out of every experience. I joined the Gold Star Marching Band and Hall Government my first few weeks on campus just to get to know other people who had similar interests to me. That led to even further connections and experiences.
• What are your tips on how to adapt to NDSU?
The transition may seem daunting, but after the first few weeks it really is not that bad. The campus may seem very large and intimidating, but after a few days you start to realize just how small and connected it really is. It took only a few weeks for me to begin recognizing people that I had seen before when walking from class to class.
• Describe your transfer experience.
My transfer experience was great and I really do not have many complaints. I came from Bismarck State College and I was happy to find out that almost all my credits were able to be applied to my degree at NDSU with very little hassle.
• How have advisers, faculty and fellow students helped with your transition?
My classmates and I often would work in small groups after lectures to collaborate and get assignments done. When I struggled with class material or needed better assistance with what classes I should be taking, the advisers and faculty were there and willing to take time and effort out of their day to ensure that I got the help I needed. I found the NDSU community to be a very supportive environment and a great place for reaching personal success.
Birdie Alia
Major: Medical laboratory sciences and microbiology
Hometown: Bemidji, Minnesota
Transferred from: University of North Dakota
• Why did you choose NDSU?
After switching from pre-med biology to MLS, I compared both UND and NDSU’s programs and realized that NDSU was more tailored for my learning style. I am a hands-on person and I felt that NDSU was able to better provide that learning style for me.
• Do you have any suggestions or advice for transfer students?
Find a support system at NDSU whether it is your professors, friends, advisers, etc. It will make your transition to NDSU significantly smoother. Use your resources. NDSU offers endless amounts of resources for mental health, tutoring, food insecurity, etc. NDSU is truly here to help you succeed. Take care of yourself. You don’t need to be mentally ill to go to counseling, but you are currently experiencing a big milestone in your life that comes with a lot of stress and anxiety from friends and family. So having a counselor to walk along side of you to teach you coping mechanisms and support you is only going to help.
• What are your tips on how to adapt to NDSU?
My mantra is to always keep an open mind and don’t let others manipulate you into thinking something is bad or weird. If a student organization sounds interesting to you, join it. Be open to something new. You’ll never know until you try. Keep a healthy balance between school and your mental health. Networking is so important. Creating professional relationships with people in your department or anyone at NDSU can get you far. Also, get to know the ladies at OneStop. They are all incredible women who are full of answers.
• Describe your transfer experience.
I felt like I was “late” because I was transferring as a junior. I felt too old to join a sorority, I was scared that everyone in my program had their own cliques and no one would want a newbie in, I had all this anxiety and fear about transferring but none of that was real. Everyone was very welcoming.
• How have advisers, faculty and fellow students helped with your transition?
Throughout my sophomore year at UND, I planned everything out. I reached out to the medical laboratory sciences department at NDSU to get an adviser to help me during my transition. I planned every little step up until I started school at NDSU. They were incredibly helpful and I am forever thankful for them. I was excited and scared for school to start because I didn’t know anyone. I knew making friends was going to be difficult during the pandemic, so I signed up for Greek life. It was the best decision I have ever made. After joining Tri Delta, I met the most amazing, supportive and empowering group of women I’ve ever met. I have also met some incredible and caring professors and staff who truly want you to succeed. Every day is truly a blessing at NDSU and I am incredibly happy to be a Bison.
Hunter Sigette
Major: Physical Education
Hometown: Bismarck, North Dakota
Transferred from: Bismarck State College
• Why did you choose NDSU?
I chose NDSU because it was close to home and had relatively the same class sizes as what I experienced before. NDSU also had a lot of the things I wanted, like apartments close to campus and a lot of campus events and activities.
• Do you have any suggestions or advice for transfer students?
Don’t be nervous about coming into a program. Most times there are a lot of other transfer students that you can get to know. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s from teachers or fellow students. There are so many resources for you to find the answers you need.
• What are your tips on how to adapt to NDSU?
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Joining a club sport was a great way for me to meet new people, but there were also so many things to do on campus and events put on by NDSU that there were great opportunities to meet new people.
• Describe your transfer experience.
Coming from Bismarck State College, a junior college which doesn’t really have many classes for my program, made it a little difficult at first. But, from the very beginning, the advisers and my teachers made it so much easier. They walked me through my schedule and classes all the way until I graduated so I never really was caught off guard by anything. I was a little nervous coming into the program, but the smaller class sizes helped me get to know everyone.
• How have advisers, faculty and fellow students helped with your transition?
My teachers played a huge role getting me through the transition. All of them were super welcoming from day one by wanting to get to know my, my hobbies, interests, etc. They find common ground to build a relationship and make you feel more comfortable within the class and the program.
Sophie Semanko
Major: Interior design
Hometown: Fargo, North Dakota
Transferred from: Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Why did you choose NDSU?
Being from Fargo, I decided in high school that I wanted to move away for college. I started out as a biomedical engineering major at Milwaukee School of Engineering, but while I was there I wasn’t loving the classes and realized I no longer wanted to be an engineer. I decided to move back to Fargo to figure out what to do next. Interior design was something I always was interested in and, after talking with a friend who had graduated from the program at NDSU, I realized it sounded like a good fit and what I wanted to do.
• Do you have any suggestions or advice for transfer students?
It’s okay to completely change your mind to find what is right for you. It’s okay not only to change schools, but also change your major if you need to. Be open to all the classes, majors and minors that NDSU offers to find what fits you best. When you are done with college and working in your field of study, it’s important to love what you do.
• What are your tips on how to adapt to NDSU?
Get involved on campus as soon as you can. Join the clubs affiliated with your major or join one that just sparks your interest. When I transferred, I decided to join Greek Life to get involved and meet new people. It has been a great experience. Another great way to get involved is by finding a job on campus. There are so many different types of jobs that can help you meet people and help you feel more connected at NDSU.
• Describe your transfer experience.
My transfer experience was great. After applying and being accepted, the process of going through orientation, setting up my email, registering for classes and meeting different deadlines was so easy because of NDSU’s staff. Most of my credits were able to transfer, so that made the transition easier because I didn’t need to retake classes. Meeting people is probably the toughest part of the transition but getting involved right away helps so much.
• How have advisers, faculty and fellow students helped with your transition?
My adviser and the rest of the interior design faculty have helped so much because they truly care about students and want to help us have success. I suggest reaching out to your adviser or faculty in your department for anything because they are always willing to help. Some of my friends from high school who attend NDSU, including my roommate, also helped with my transition. They were willing to help me get adjusted and answer all my questions.
